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Tuesday, 18 August 2009

I must apologise to you my dear readers for my lack of blogging this last week or so! As I mentioned we were on holiday and had some lovely days out, we went to the seaside and could not have had better weather. A couple of day trips out to idyllic villages with stone cottages and little streams running through and weeping willow tree branches touching the water and moving gently to the flow.

On the agenda also was strawberry picking, well hubby did the picking due to my back problems. We ended up with a few punnets full of sweet ripe fruit, as a result, I made some wonderful strawberry conserve to savour for when the weather turns cold into autumn and winter. A spoonful of this conserve on homemade bread will remind me of a perfect summer’s day! We also made a visit to a local farm where they sell their own produce, I came away with bunches of beetroot – oh yes with still dirt on them ready to scrub and cook. A huge marrow to peel and stuff with mince beef, just how my mum used to make it when I was a child. Potatoes, again with dirt on them and oh boy did they taste good when washed peeled and cooked, it must be the Lincolnshire soil they are all grown in! I was let loose in a home and wear store, *I’m in heaven, I’m in heaven*, where they had beautiful cake stands, elegant cups and saucers, in fact everything you could imagine for an avid cook/baker. Hmmmm, oh yes I did come away with a few little items to add to my little repertoire of things!

Overall, it was a lovely break, which must have lead to my lack of mojo for baking of late. I hope I have rectified things with you with this gorgeous fruity banana bread. I had six very overripe bananas that need attention in some form or shape, a lovely bag of mixed berries consisting of blueberries, cranberries and golden sultanas and a few glace cherries. Well, the fruit all worked beautifully together and the taste of this banana bread is sublime. I doubled up the quantities of each ingredient and made two fruity banana breads. You could cut one and give one to your friend or even freeze one if it lasts that long! I certainly will be baking this combination of fruits in my banana bread again.

You will need a 900g (2 lb) loaf tin, greased with a little butter and lined with baking parchment.

Method

Preheat the oven to 170°C/fan oven 150°C/325°F/gas mark 3. In a large mixing bowl, cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy in appearance. Add one egg at a time and beat into the mixture until fully combined. Add the dried fruit and lemon zest and fold through the mixture. Mash the bananas and fold through the mixture. Sift the flour into the mixture in the bowl and carefully fold in. Place all the mixture into the prepared tin and gently level the top with a spatula. Bake for about 1 hour in the preheated oven, but check after 50 minutes to see if it is ready. The banana bread is ready when a skewer inserted into the centre comes out completely clean. Leave in the banana bread in the tin to cool on a wire rack for 15 minutes before turning out to cool completely. When cold peel away the baking parchment. Keeps well stored in an airtight tin for up to 5 days.

Lastly, pour yourself a lovely hot cup of tea and cut a slice of fruity banana bread. Relax and enjoy the world go by whilst you take pleasure in your little slice of banana nirvana!

Hi Rose, awe thanks sweetie, I got the pink cup ca saucer when I was let loose in the home and wear shop ;0)

Hi Ann, the break was lovely and to have the family home made a good change. Yes I have an ongoing back condition which will remain with me unfortunately all my life.

Ciao Natalia, lovely to *see* you sweetie, I hope you had a lovely holiday :0)

Hi Rosa, awe thank you and yes it’s a bit different from other banana breads.

Hi caroline, awe you are such a treasure!

Hi Katiecakes, yes the break was good :0) heehee a girl after my own heart with home and wear shops. I felt like a kid in a sweet shop I can tell you on my first visit :0) *Whisper* the plate and tea cup and saucer was one of the buys this holiday ....

Hi The Girl, awe bless you it’s lovely to be back blogging again after what seems an age! If you have a T.K.Max they do some great offers on cooking and bake wear quite cheap :0)

Hi C.C. can’t wait to view your next bake. I’m always on the look out for recipes to use up ripe bananas :0)Hi Reeni, it was such a lovely break but pleased to be back also.

Hi Talita, The dough is a moist one and it really is a good keeper – thank you and I love your blog too!

Hi Ingrid, I hope you will try this one out and it becomes a great success for you :0)

Hi my ‘dear’ Gloria, you are always so kind and sweet and that’s why you are adored by many bloggers!!

Hi Katie, awe thanks sweetie – I hope you will try this bread out :0)

Hi Lucie, awe bless it’s so nice to know I’ve been missed in the blogosphere :0)

Hi Hornsfan, the local crops are amazing as Lincolnshire U.K. grown many crops for the country. The ground lies flat and you can see for miles and miles on the fens, which links up to Boston. Now Boston is where the Pilgrim fathers came from.

Hi Sangi & Sowmay , thanks so much you are both so sweet :0)

Hi Dhanggit, I love to bake and blog but sometimes life seems to get in the way of things I like doing most.

Hi Donna, I would love to pass you a loaf over to cut into :0)

Hi Val, the seaside was wonderful as due to my back condition we did wonder if I’d travel ok. Well it worked out fine this time and we had a ball.

Hi Grace, I just adore fruit ant shape or form so for me this banana bread was a huge hit and hubby has taken two huge slices to work for him and his co-worker lol...

Hi Heather, this is a perfect cake for transporting to work. I will be baking my fruit cake in the next couple of month’s for Christmas – yup – it needs a couple of month’s to mature by feeding it with Brandy.

Thank you all for taking the time to call by and also for your kind words :0)

Hi Rose, I have just made a gluten free version of this and it came out fantastic.. better than the one I've made in the past based on a Delia recipe according to my six year old! Would you have any objection to me putting up my version.. which is mostly just changing the flour, on my blog? I'd link to you of course as well.

♥Your B.C.G. Hostess♥

Welcome, do come in and pull up a chair at my kitchen table and make yourself comfy, whilst I cut you a slice of cake! My passion is baking and I’m devoting this blog to the art and craft of baking, eating and writing about cakes. I hope you enjoy my bakes and recipes and please call again it’s always lovely to *see* you.